Together
by kuroame16
Summary: A preRENT story about Mark and April. Goes from age 5 on up. I don't own RENT or it's characters. NEW CHAPTER POSTED!
1. Chapter 1

AN: Wow! A new story (finally)! Bear with me on this one, since it might not be updated as quickly as my others were (school, rehersals for a play, a part-time job, and trying to have a social life are things taking up most of my time these days). But I think it'll be interesting, at least. Guess which bohemians these are (it shouldn't be too hard).

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Maybe 'soulmates' is too strong a word to describe a relationship like ours, but that's what we were. We complimented each other so well. I guess that's what happens when you've known someone your entire life.

Even my earliest memories involve her in some way. My first time on a swing, learning to ride a bike, even my first day of school. I don't recall actually meeting her...she was always _there_, like she materialized because I needed her. Although in our story, it's hard to say who needed the other more.

Unfortunately, that story came to an end.

When we were children, she promised we'd be together forever; until the day we died. She kept that promise, whether she knew it or not. Because when I opened the bathroom door that day, I died too.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: So here's the next part. And while this story isn't a songfic like my others, it _was_ heavily inspired by the song Ever The Same by Rob Thomas. And this story can't exactly be described as a romance, but it's not just a friendship either. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you'll either never know or you'll figure it out as you read this. Reviews, please!

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March 22, 1973

"C'mon, Slowpoke, hurry up!"

I stopped to awkwardly adjust my new 'too-big-for-my-face' glasses. The neighbor girl waved at me from the sandbox we called our 'fort' across the playground.

"Wait up" I called as my feet carried me clumsily over. About three quarters of the way there I tripped over my shoelace and fell flat on my face.

"Oh, no! Are you okay?" She rushed over and held her hand out to me. Even at five years old, April worried about me too much.

She pulled me up and I dusted myself off, having to fix my glasses into place again. "Yeah, 'm okay."

"That's good. Hey, let's make a sand castle!" Still holding my hand, she dragged me into the small pit and started moving the sand into a pile. Then we leveled the top to make a roof.

"This'll be the tower." April plopped a clump of sand on the top. Then she dug a small ditch around the entire sculpture. "And this'll be the...um...what's it called?" She looked to me for guidance.

"Um..." I looked up, searching my young brain for the answer. "A moat?"

"That's right! The moat!" She nodded enthusiastically at me. "And I get to be the knight!"

"But I thought the boy was a'posed to be the knight. The girl's a'posed to be the princess." I squinted as if looking at her more closely would make her comprehensible. April was always confusing the hell out of me.

"We can _both_ be knights! Princesses are boring. They just sit around and get kindnapped." She pouted at the thought. Then she grinned at me. "This way, we can save princesses together!"

I felt myself smiling back. "Yeah. April?"

"Hmm?"

I watched my finger draw little circles in the small rocks. "Will we always be together?"

"Of course! We're gonna be together forever, 'til the day we die." I thought it was a funny thing for her to say, since no one thinks they're ever going to die when they're in kindergarten. Still, it made me feel special.

"Promise?" I looked up cautiously.

She drew a big 'X' on her chest. "I promise, Marky. Cross my heart."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Wheee, new chapter already! I think I'm getting back into my groove. I've also found that somehow, writing an essay makes me want to update...maybe because it puts me in a creative state of mind. Hmm... ponders . Well, anyways, reviews give me a reason to get up in the morning, so please give me lots of them!

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September 7th, 1978

"Ugh, I hate doing this every year!" I whined, my hands wrapped around the straps of my backpack.

"Quit complaining. There's going to be a first day of school every year. It's impossible for there not to be," April pointed out nonchalantly, hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans and eyes on her bright red Chuck Taylors. She refused to wear the cute little skirts and jelly sandals like the other little girls. Half the time I forgot she was one.

"Not if they didn't make us go to school." I retorted. Like most children, my fifth grade logic had yet to find a reasoning behind the entire concept of school. "I mean, they should just ask us if we want to go at the beginning of the year. Then if we say 'no', we get to stay home and they'll ask us again next year."

April laughed at me and shook her head. "You'd never want to go!"

"Exactly!" I giggled, but it quickly faded as I looked up at Scarsdale Elementary School. A groan escaped my lips. "Aww, man. Here already? Why can't I just go back home?"

April rolled her eyes at me. "Y'know, just because you can't do math doesn't mean you don't have to go like everyone else."

I felt a sting in my chest. I forgot she knew about my math grades last year. My parents went into the school for a conference, a tutor was hired, and even then I was barely getting by. I began sniffling and my breath came in hiccups.

"Mark?" April looked over at me for the first time that morning. I stared at my loafers, holding back tears. Soon I felt her arms around me. "I'm sorry, that was mean."

Kids have a funny way of saying incredibly insensitive things. I think it's because they don't realize that words really can hurt. April figured it out pretty quickly, though...even if it was usually after the fact.

"I don't wanna go." I choked out through my hitched breathing.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Mark, really. Y'know what? I'll help you out with your homework and stuff. It'll be okay, I promise."

"Okay..." I sniffled a few more times as we walked into the building.

Oddly enough, most people assume math was the type of thing that came naturally to me, like I could solve quadratic equations and find the tangent, sine, and cosine of any triangle by age 8. Granted, I can do all of that now, but that's only because of April. She had straight A's in math every single year.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: 'nother chappy! Yays! I know I'm jumping ahead a lot with the years. I think I'm going to make the rest of the chapters closer together timewise. Anyway, please enjoy! And write me reviews!

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October 25, 1981

"Umm...Mark?" I sighed. .The previous had become a constantly recurring statement in art class

"What is it now?" Suddenly I knew how she felt whenever she was tutoring me in math class. I glanced to my right at April's canvas, which was covered in globs of paint with not a single actual shape nor pattern to the madness at all. My eyes widened. "Holy geez! What are you _doing_?"

" I don't know! I mean, this doesn't look right. It's like...augh, crap!" She hung her head in frustration. "How come you're so good at this stuff?"

"I dunno..." I looked at my own canvas and it's simple painting of a sky. It would probably be considered good for someone who didn't paint regularly. "I'm not _that_ good."

"It's still not fair..." She turned to me and pouted. "How I am every gonna pass this stupid class?"

I glanced down at her hand and chuckled softly. "April, whatever are we going to do with you?"

"What?" The fact that she was genuinely confused just made it that much better.

"April...you're holding your paintbrush like you're gonna stab someone with it." I took her hand and showed her how to wrap her fingers around the brush properly. "Now move your arm like this." I guided her hand, making a single, graceful stroke across the canvas. "You do it now."

"Umm...okay." She mimicked my movement, shaking slightly at first.. She soon found a grace though, and by the time art period was over, she had somehow turned those beginning globs into a rather pretty picture of a house.

"See? It's a piece of cake." I said, packing up my things.

"Yeah..." She stared at her work for what must have been five minutes, an awe in her eyes I'd never seen before. It was love at first sight.

Until that moment, April had been what they call a "left-brained" person. She was logical, practical, analytical even. But something about that painting woke up her passion and creativity. She became more spontaneous; running down the hallways singing 'The Man Who Sold the World' by Bowie at the top of her lungs, giving answers that made no sense in class ("What years did the American Civil War take place?" "PIE!"), and sometimes even asking people in the middle of class to hold still so she could get _just_ the right look for her drawing.

The teachers thought she was crazy. Her parents grounded her. Me? I loved the new April even more than the old one.


	5. Chapter 5

September 8th, 1982

"I can't believe it! We're in _high school_ now! This is so fucked up, Mark! Are you as excited as I am?" April half-walked, half-hopped down the sidewalk.

I stared straight ahead and replied deadpan. "Yes, April. I'm overjoyed. You cannot possibly fathom how much I look forward to the seventh layer of hell."

"Oh, come on! Don't be that way. I'm sure this'll be _way_ better than Jr. High." She stopped hopping and mimicked me: sticking her hands in her pockets staring down at her shoes. At least, she pretended to stare at her shoes, but even out of my peripheral vision I could see her glancing over at me.

"Better than Jr. High? That's _really_ not saying a lot, Ape." I heard her sigh, starting to get frustrated with me. But when she spoke a few moments later, her voice was anything but frustrated.

"You're afraid because we're freshmen this year, aren't you?"

I came to a dead stop. Trying to mask my nervousness, I chuckled a bit. "What? What's _that_ supposed to mean?" I walked to the door of Scarsdale High School and stopped outside, turning to April to let her finish.

"You know damn well. It means stolen lunch money, hanging from the bathroom stalls by your shirt, and 'kick me' signs taped to your back..." I flinched at each humiliating event as she listed them. "That's what you're thinking, right?"

I looked away, hating the fact that even if I _didn't_ meet her gaze, she'd still know she was right.

"Mark...it's not gonna be that bad." She reached up to my face and turned my gaze toward her, forcing me to make eye contact. "_Trust_ me. I won't let it be."

"Heh...whatever you say, April." I still didn't believe her, but I felt the need to humor her. But by the mischievous look in her eye, I could tell she had other plans. "Umm...Ape?"

Before I could say another word, she grabbed by hand and burst through the doors, dragging me full speed down the hallways and shouting at the top of her lungs "WE'RE THE FUCKING FRESHMEN, AND OUR COCKS ARE BIGGER THAN YOURS!"

My eyes widened as I tried to adjust my backpack with one arm and keep up with my own legs. "Wait...our _what_!?"

"WE'RE GONNA RIDE YOUR ASSES TO FUCKING GLORY!"

As she continued to spout out her strange taunts, I felt myself smiling. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

And thus began high school. That magical time in everyone's life when they supposedly figure out who they are, what they're going to do with themselves, and look back on it as the best years of their life.

It's also the not-so-magical time of puberty. Yeah, we all laugh at it now, but it was mortifying while it was happening. It's also extremely confusing when you can't quite place when girls stopped having 'cooties' and started becoming goddesses.

September 25, 1982

It started like any other day. Well, _almost_. I found myself alone in front of the school. April was running late that morning and told me to go ahead. For some reason I found myself unable to go inside without her. Although I'd bet the three large seniors wearing letter jackets standing about 10 feet inside had a lot to do with it.

April was right. I never had my lunch money stolen, or got beaten up, or anything that extreme. I was, however, far from immune to crumpled papers being thrown at my head, being tripped in the halls, or the immense verbal abuse whenever she wasn't around.

My eyes fell to a small bug a short distance from my foot. I could tell without even looking at my watch that it was 5 minutes until homeroom. Where the hell was she?

"I thought I said not to wait for me." I heard in a familiar voice. I opened my mouth to speak, but as soon as I looked up at her my jaw dropped down and my tired, half-lidded eyes shot open. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She brought her hands up to her cheeks worriedly.

After a moment, I finally found my voice. "Actually...yeah." It was true, technically. The smokey liner, perfect shadow that brought out that wonderful hint of blue in her eyes that was usually completely hidden by the green, thick mascara, and tint of pink on her lips were, indeed, something on her face. I found myself unable to take my eyes off hers. "You're wearing _make-up_."

"Um...yeah. It looks silly, doesn't it?" She ran a hand through her hair, looking away from me, and blushed.

"You look beautiful." It came out before I knew I was thinking it, almost like breathing. I was unable to stop myself.

"Thanks...oh, shit!" She looked at her hand with a slight panic, which I then noticed had black polish on each fingernail, one of which was chipped at the end. "How did that happen? I don't remember hitting it on anything!"

"Oh, my god.." I said, barely moving my lips.

"Oh, no! What now!? _What_, Mark!?" Her voice was getting rushed and distraught as she looked up at me.

I half feigned amazement. "You're a fucking _girl_."

She giggled, all panic melting away. "Well, the absence of penis tipped me off to that quite a while ago, but thanks for confirming it, Marky."

She walked through the doors, a little bit of unease still showing through her newfound confidence. After a few moments of being unable to move, I quickly moved to catch up with her. "So, is all that just for the class photos?"

I caught her glancing over at one of the aforementioned jacket-wearers and smiling.

"Well...something like that."


	7. Chapter 7

AN: A new chapter already! Woohoo! Yay for putting off homework! Anyway, reviews would be oh so sweet. My last chapter had a bunch of hits, but no reviews at all! It's all sad and lonely. So please, give this chappy some review friends...even if you don't like it.

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November 6, 1983

"Hey, Freshman!"

I stopped walking and sighed, turning around already prepared for the following onslaught. "I'm not a freshman anymore, Jacobs. What do you want?"

The jock pointed at me threateningly, a malicious grin in his eyes. "Don't take that tone with me, Fag. Not after how nice I've been lately."

Of course. Just because I was quiet, sensitive, and my only real friend was a girl, I must have been gay. How original.

"I'm not gay, Jacobs. And even if I was, you wouldn't have to worry. I have _standards_, after all."

He completely ignored my jab and continued his verbal offence. "Well, that's the only thing I can figure, since you've known such a sweet thing like April all these years and haven't tried to fuck her. Don't even try to tell me you never wanted to."

"_What_?" I'd be lying if I said the thought _hadn't_ crossed my mind at that point. But hell, I was thinking that way about everything. When asking someone if they wanna fuck their best friend, you have to take into account whether the next thing out of their mouth could be 'Hey, that's a good looking hole in a tree!'

He pinned me against the wall, eyes searing through me. "Don't play dumb with me, Freshman. I've seen how you look at her. You wish you could do all _kinds_ of things to my girl, don't you?" I never understood how jocks could go from calling someone gay to accussing them of trying to steal their girlfriend in only a few short breaths.

I don't know if it was the fact that my arms were beginning to go numb from his pressure of his grip, his awful breath in my face, the fact that he was talking about April like an object, or all three, but something finally brought out the hatred in me. I gave my own searing glare and spoke with venom. "Funny you should mention that. I hope you had a good night out with the guys on Saturday. Oh, and if she says my name by accident next time, don't worry about it."

"Oh-ho, you're gonna regret that, Cohen."

"Michael!" We both turned toward the subject of our little discussion. She glared at him with a hand on her hip. "I thought I told you to leave him alone."

"It's no problem, Babe." I twitched at his little petname. "We were just talking. Right, Marky?"

I kept my eyes locked with his, a smug grin pulling at my lips. "Yeah, Ape. We were talking."

He pulled away from me, done with his playtime for now, and threw an arm around April's shoulder as they walked down the hall together. I stared at them leaving for a few moments, then headed the opposite direction.


	8. Chapter 8

April 21, 1984

Somehow, the beginnings of weekends always started the same way for me: sitting in the living room with one light on and not being able to sleep. Usually I'd watch TV, draw a picture (though any of my works paled in comparison to April's at that point), anything to keep my mind occupied.

This night, however, I felt content to listen to the thunder and falling rain. I wondered how many people realized rain makes the same sound as steaks cooking on a grill. I stared at the ceiling and imagined the rain drops hitting my face, cool and relaxing.

A soft knock took me out of my daydream. For a moment I stared at the door, wondering if my imagination was playing tricks on me. Confused, I walked over quietly to answer it. I was shocked, not because of who it was, but the expression on her face.

"April? What the hell? It's 2 in the morning." I stared at her as she stood on my doorstep, soaking wet from the heavy rain. She looked like she'd been outside in it for hours, mascara running down her face and tears in her eyes. I'd never seen her so helpless. "Oh my god...what happened?"

She stood there for a moment, then slowly walked inside. "Mark, you never sleep on Fridays anyway."

"That's beside the point. And you're avoiding the subject."

I put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to face me. Her eyes caught mine for a moment and something inside me broke. Then, almost without warning, she fell against my shoulder with new tears flowing, her knees buckling and nearly bringing her to the ground. I held her close as she shook and the water from her clothing seeped into mine.

"Michael...he...it's over..." she squeaked out between sobs.

"God, April. I'm sorry."

I hated Michael Jacobs. Hated him from the moment I met him, and knew he'd never be good enough for her. But in that moment, all I could think about was finding him and begging him to take her back, tell her he loved her, anything just to make her stop crying.

She pulled away from me and wiped her eyes. "Can I stay here with you tonight?"

"Of course, Ape." I took her hand and led her up to my room. Once there, I handed her an old t-shirt and sweat pants and looked away to give her some privacy. Venturing a glance just as she was pulling the pants up, I knew there had to be more to what was going on.

"So...what happened?"

She sat on my bed, bouncing a few times and smiling half-heartedly at the creaking noise. "We had a fight because I still wouldn't put out. Then, he had the nerve to suggest that the reason we'd been dating over a year and I still hadn't fucked him was that I was sleeping with you."

I cringed at that last part, knowing I was probably at least partially responsible. Still, even without the kinds of remarks I made back in the fall, I knew then that those sort of accusations would be something April and I would have to deal with any time we dated someone.

I guided her down to the pillow and pulled the sheets over us, sliding an arm around her. "Well, technically, he's right. You're sleeping with me now."

"Fuck you." She tried to sound angry, but the smirk and stifled laughter gave her away.

"Not quite, Sunshine."

"What did you just call me?"

"'Sunshine'. You look like you could use some of that right now," I explained, kissing the top of her head.

"It's pretty...I like it." I heard her sigh and begin to drift into sleep. "G'night, Marky."

As I lay there, still unable to sleep, I tried not to think about how cute she looked in my clothes or the way her thigh kept brushing against mine. I tried to find a single thing to focus on that wouldn't make me feel like a pervert.

Baby Soft and rain. She smelled like Baby Soft and rain.

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AN: Sorry for the delay! The site wasn't letting me upload files for the past few days. It seems to be working alright now, so I should be updating at my usual speed. Anyway, reviews would be much appreciated...(looks at precious few reviews for previous chapters and feels lonely).


	9. Chapter 9

August 27th, 1984

April hopped up next to me on the picnic table. The same as every year on this day since my parents would let me out of their sight for more than ten minutes, I'd begged her to meet me at the park so I could get away from my mother and Cindy's fawning, if only for a few hours.

I glanced down at her short denim skirt. It rode up slightly and I could see some tiny scars on her inner thighs. I figured she slipped while shaving...but...

"Um...Ape?"

"What?" She pulled down the skirt and looked away for a second.

I stared at her in disbelief. "Mighty Mouse under-roos?"

"Shut up!" She slapped my arm. "I can wear whatever I want!"

"Riiiiiight."

"So whadja get?" She avoided the subject, as always.

I scoffed and tossed one of the boxes into her lap. "That one's from Cindy." She rolled her eyes, knowing I never like anything Cindy got for me. However when she looked inside her expression told a different story.

"Wow...Mark, this is great!"

"Ape, what are you talking about?"

"It's so rad! I love the stripes. Ya think she made it herself?"

"Hell no! You think Cindy would spend more than 5 minutes on anything for me?"

She held it up into the light, like she could see through it or something weird like that. "Well, whatever, it's cool in that thrifty sorta way." She turned to me and shoved the object in question in my face. "C'mon, let's see how it looks!"

I leaned away, still too stubborn to give Cindy the satisfaction, even if she wasn't here. "April, who the fuck wears a scarf in August?" I pushed her hand away and glared in the opposite direction.

She pouted and placed it back in the box. "Okay fine...so what else?"

I groaned and opened the second box, more carefully this time, to reveal a small machine. "'We couldn't afford a car this year,' Dad said. 'It'll be a nice little hobby, sweetie,' Mom said. I think it's bullshit."

"Oh my god, Mark!" She nearly wrenched it out of my hands and stared at it in awe. "A fuckin' video camera! This is awesome!"

"How?" I challenged.

She scanned the area for a while, then locked on a target. She turned the handle on the camera several times, and held it in one spot. "Here, look through it."

I leaned over and glanced through the lens as she held its focus on a small area. I immediately sat back down, disgusted. "Eww! April, that's just weird!"

"Why? What's weird about it?" I could tell from her laugh she knew damn well why I reacted the way I did.

"April, it's two squirrels fucking!"

"And?" She jumped to the ground and placed the camera in my lap. "You can capture life with this thing!" Then she took the scarf back out of its box and wrapped it around my neck. This time, though, I was too befuddled to reject it.

"God, you're insane!" I shook my head, staring down at the machine again. "What do I even do with this thing."

April scampered a few feet away and called over. "Wind the crank and point it at me...duh!"

I rolled my eyes and did as she told. "Fine. Now what?" I still wasn't amused.

"I dunno...narrate or something."

"Huh?" How much of a dork did she think I was? Wait...don't answer.

"Say the time or date or where we are or something." She tapped her toe impatiently.

I sighed. "Fine." I glanced down at my watch. "August 27th, 1984, 4:37 PM, eastern standard time. A small park a few blocks away from our homes. April Eriksson makes her film debut."

"God, you're lame." She grinned, striking Vogue-like poses. "Y'know...you look really cool like that."

I took my eye away from the scope and raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you're just sitting there, pointing a camera at me, wearing this funky scarf. You look like some big-time director or some shit."

I looked down and blushed. "C'mon, stop it..."

"Hey, look away for a second, okay?" She walked up to her bag which was sitting a few feet away from me on the table.

"'Kay." I closed my eyes and waited. I felt the camera in my hands be replaced by something small and cold. I opened my eyes to see a small green gem connect to a beaded metal chain in my palm.

"It's a peridot. That's the birthstone for August. It's supposed to bring success, peace, and goodluck."

I held it up to the sky, watching the sunlight bounce off its angles. I smiled, and for probably the first time that day, it wasn't fake. "Thanks, Sunshine. This is awesome." I put it around my neck and popped the chain closed. It did look sort of girly, but I got away with it by tucking the gem under my shirt. I wore it everyday.

She leaned over and kissed my nose. I scrunched my face like a little kid, pretending I thought it was gross, however it was the only welcomed affection I'd recieved that day.

"Happy Sweet Sixteen, Marky."


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Okay, wow. I'm soooo sorry for not updating sooner. I've had so much on my mind lately. I have a performance coming up next weekend and it's been all I can do not to go crazy with anxiety. But anyway...I like this chapter. I thought it was an interesting little spin on things, considering what we already know about the future of these people. I hope you all like it, too! Now please, readies and reviewies!

October 28, 1984 

I balanced my camera in one hand while the plastic cup that was still full of alcohol after two hours occupied the other. As the music blared and the others jumped and swayed, I was the definition of 'wallflower'. I wondered how April's reasoning that we were too old for trick-or-treating was any excuse for her to drag me to a party where hardly anyone recognized me. My camera stayed locked on her as she danced with strange creatures, her angelic wardrobe making her a diamond in the rough.

"She's something, huh?" I turned toward the unfamiliar voice to see a senior in a spandex suit, his face covered in glitter and his hair dyed a fiery red very similar to April's.

"Uh, yeah." It was the most anyone had said to me all night. I indicated to his costume. "So, what are you supposed to be?"

"Bowie. You?"

I played with a threat on the sleeve of my zoot suit. "Oh, no one in particular."

He pointed to April with his half-empty bottle. "So, how long you two been going out?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes at my new acquaintance. That question had gotten old about 2 weeks after April and Jacobs broke up. "We're _not_. She's just a friend."

He nodded in understanding. "Oooooh...so you're just fucking?"

"What? No..._what_?" Now that one I wasn't quite used to.

"Well, I see her around you all the time. I mean, I figure the only reason a killer babe like that would be hanging around a nerd like you is you're boning her." I felt myself clutch the cup just a little tighter. "That or she feels sorry for you. Or both, but whatever."

"Yeah...well, you're wrong on both accounts." To tell the truth though, I was only certain of one of those. I felt an unpleasant weight begin to form in my chest.

"You gotta be crazy, man. But hell, maybe I can benefit from that. I mean, she's still kinda on the rebound from that football player. I bet it's easy as cake to get into those panties. Fuck, the things I could do to that little bitch..."

He continued on, but at the sound of that last word, I saw a flash of light go across my vision and everything went silent. I set my drink and camera on a nearby end table and turned towards him, rage surging through me.

"Heh...that's funny." I forced out a few fake chuckles then tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, listen..."

He turned towards me, probably expecting me to confess to some steamy interlude wherein I'd already _done_ one of the incredibly obscene things he'd been listing. "Yeah?"

Before I was aware that I was even moving, my knuckles were mashing the soft flesh of his cheek into his teeth. The sound of his beer bottle shattering on the floor was a perfect follower to the echo of my fist trying to break his face.

I'd never punched anyone before. Ever. And at that moment, it was the greatest feeling I'd ever experienced.

The music stopped. The crowd stood silent, staring us down like hawks awaiting our next move. The rock star-wannabe was frozen from shock, his neck still craning to his right as a bruise began to form on the left side of his face.

Then he jumped me, much to the pleasure of most of the party. He began landing blow after blow onto my face and chest. I felt him break skin as I tasted a small amount of blood in my mouth. I didn't care. I did what I thought was right.

After a few moments, some other seniors came (surprisingly) to my rescue, dragging the assaulter away from me. "Dude! _Dude_! What the fuck? He's just a freshman, Davis!"

I grabbed the edge of the end table and forced myself off the floor. I spit out blood and glared at them. "I'm a junior, you bastards!"

I heard one of them snicker. Then, the voice of an angel...

"Mark? Oh my god, Mark!" She hurried to my side and pulled my arm across her shoulders. "C'mon, let's go." She led me toward the door, grabbing the camera (which I later learned had captured the entire event) with her other arm.

"Hey, baby!" The wannabe called after her.

Without even looking back, she shot down all hope he might have had. "Go to hell, Roger."

As she helped me walk the two and a half miles to my house there were two thoughts running through my mind.

One: was there any truth to his words? Is the most popular girl in school _really _only spending time with me because I'm so hopeless?

And two: Roger Davis. Never forget that fucking name.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Oh. My. GOD. I am SO sorry for taking so long to update! Life kinda got in the way for a little while. I'll make it up to you all, I swear! I might even post another new chapter tonight. If anyone's still reading this, please R&R!

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November 2, 1984

"So, Sunday's the big 16. Christ, you're like, ancient!" I shook my head in disbelief as we walked toward my locker. April nudged me playfully with her elbow.

"Fuck you, Mark. You're almost three months older than me." I feigned a wince and rubbed my side in mock-pain.

"Oooh, getting crotchety in your old age?" I teased, trying to hide my grin. She glared at me, pouting, but I still detected a hint of laughter in her eyes. "So you'd better be getting a car, otherwise we're screwed."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Mark, what good would a car do me when I don't even have my permit yet?"

"Pfft...that's only a minor setback. Besides, who said you'd be the one driving?" I grinned even wider. I had gotten my license just the previous week and had been dying to drive a car other than my parents', mainly so my mother couldn't insist on going with me to 'make sure I knew what I was doing.'

"NO!" She pointed a finger in my face as if she were scolding a puppy. "No fucking _way_, Cohen! I am _not_ letting anyone else drive any car that I may or may not even be getting before I do!"

I stuck my tongue out at her as I opened my locker and grabbed the books for my morning classes. "The poor thing's gonna gather dust."

April leaned against the locker next to mine, looking away and pouting again. "Dick."

"So I was thinking we'd have a picnic this year. I mean, it's not like I'll be doing anything before then so I could bring some snacks or something."

She looked back at me, confused. "What?"

"Y'know, for the park," I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it would have been any other year. For as long as I could remember, we'd met up in the park on our birthdays every year to get away from our families so we could actually enjoy the feeling of being an entire year older.

She clasped her hands over her mouth in a combination of surprise and realization. "Shit! I forgot!"

"'Forgot'? Ape, we've been doing this ever since we were little. That's not the sort of thing you just forget." I stared disbelievingly at her. She played with her fingers and gave me an apologetic look.

"Kelly and Stacey are taking me into New York City for the day. They bought tickets to see a show and everything..."

I should have realized right then and there that it had simply slipped her mind, and that those things happen. We were growing up, breaking traditions. However, the words flashing through my mind filled me with a sense of betrayal.

'_I figure the only reason a killer babe like that would be hanging around a nerd like you is that you're boning her. That or she feels sorry for you...'_

_'Feels sorry for you...'_

I nodded and replied in a sarcastic tone. "Oh, sure. Go right ahead. _Go_."

She tried to compromise. "Well, maybe we could hang out when I get back home. I mean, it won't be too late."

I shook my head and slammed my locker closed. "No, don't worry about it. By all means, have fun with your _real_ friends."

Before she could protest, I turned and walked swiftly away, leaving her standing there staring at a blank space in the hall where I had been standing moments before.

This was the beginning of what we came to refer to as The Rift.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Another chapter already, just like I said! Hehe...I'm having fun with 'first meeting' scenes. I'll try to update again soon. Reviews help in that department hint hint, wink wink 

-

November 15, 1984

I watched my mother's car drive off into the distance. It was official now. I was stuck. I turned around slowly, praying to whatever god there may have been that somehow I'd see something other than what I already knew I was going to. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work.

I sighed as I stared at the Scarsdale Jewish Community Center. "I can't believe this," I mumbled to myself, trudging toward the door with my hands shoved in my pockets and my eyes to the ground.

"Yo, kid!" I looked up toward the voice. A girl I guessed to be about my age was leaning against the side of the building about twenty feet to my left. My eyes went wide, but not for the usual reasons a teenage boy's might when looking at a strange girl.

I think it was the mohawk that caught my eye first. Her face was adorned with various studs and hoops from her eyebrow to her bottom lip. She wore dark jeans and a Rollin Stones t-shirt. Her dark eye shadow and liner gave her eyes an almost sunken-in appearance. Girls like her were unheard of in Scarsdale.

"You got a light?" For the first time, I noticed the cigarette between her lips.

I shook myself back into coherence. "Um...what?" I continued to stare.

"A _light_. You know, _fire_? The stuff that burns things?" She gestured to the air, obviously getting impatient with me already.

"Uh...no." I felt somewhat foolish, even though there would be no reason for me to be carrying anything capable of causing flame.

"Fuck!" She started searching her pockets desperately. She pulled out some scraps of plastic (I found out later that she had a habit of shoving cigarette wrappings into her pockets when she was more than ten feet from a trashcan) before finally finding a small book of matches. She sighed in relief as she struck one. The slight wind was just enough to blow it out before she could light her cigarette.

"_Shit_!" She tossed it to the ground and stamped her foot. "Hey, get over here!" She gestured with a jerk of her head. I walked over, not quite knowing what to do. "Hold your hands like this." She held out her hands and cupped them, almost like she were holding a baseball between them.

"Um...okay." I held mine out in an attempt to mimick her. She stepped closer and leaned so the tip of her cigarette was between my hands. Then she carefully lifted the matchbook in front of it and stuck a new flame. My hands made a successful sheild to the wind and I saw the end of her cigarette begin to glow.

She inhaled blissfully and let out a long trail of smoke. "Thanks." She flicked ash onto the ground and looked at me. "So what are you in for?"

"Huh?" I was still bewildered by this unusual girl.

She smiled, slightly amused with my reaction."What are you doing here?"

"Oh..._oh_!" I suddenly remembered I was actually here for a purpose. Cringing, I admited my shame. "Tango lessons."

"No shit? Me, too." She pulled the cigarette out of her mouth for the first time, her dark lipstick staining the end. "Lemme guess: your parents sent you here cause they thought it'd be fun to do something 'constructive'?"

"Yeah, something like that." I smiled, starting to ease into the conversation. Despite her edgy appearance, there was something strangely approachable about this girl. She was attractive in a way completely different from April. I felt myself oddly drawn to her.

"I've seen you around school. Don't you hang out with that Eriksson chick?"

For a moment, I was too stunned to answer. She and I went to the same school? How could I have never noticed her before? Quickly bringing myself back out of my head, I responded. "Well, I used to. Not so much anymore."

She looked at me, seeming to genuinely be interested. "You two had a falling out?"

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just say she decided there were more important things in life." I actually hadn't spoken to April in over two weeks. Not to say she hadn't tried to speak to me.

She shrugged and took another drag. "Well, shit happens. What's your name, anyway?"

I adjusted my glasses awkwardly. "Oh, uh...Mark. I'm Mark Cohen." I held out my hand and she took it immediately, as if she'd been anticipating my behavior.

"Nanette."


	13. Chapter 13

So just a public notice...I haven't gotten a single new review for the past three chapters of my latest story. So let's make a deal: I won't update again until I get at least 3 reviews for each of those chapters.

Seriously, I write these things as much for you guys as myself (probably more for you, actually). I wanna know if you're enjoying it, or if I should just shut up. Insecure of me? Certainly. But I don't think it's unreasonable of me, either.


	14. Chapter 14

Okay...once again, I apologize for not updating. I've had a lot going on lately. There are several reasons, some not so good and one that is.

Finals are just around the corner, so I'm uberstressed with studying. Work has been...well, work. I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to save money for a trip to Baltimore I've been planning with some friends. We're going to Otakon (if you couldn't already tell I was a dork). Me plus planning ahead equals no. Also I just haven't quite been 'into' the story lately. Ideas are wearing a bit thin, which was bound to happen since this is turning into my longest story to date, but I knew that it would when I started it. But those are the crappy excuses.

And here's where it gets serious. Last week, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors said they had high hopes for her because of the location of it, but still. It's not a good time for me and my family right now, so any positive thoughts would be greatly appreaciated. Thanks in advance for understanding. I love you guys.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Look, look! A new chapter, just for you! Sorry it took so long. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of it now. And my grandmother is doing quite well, all things considered. Thank you for all your prayers and support, I can't tell you how much it means to me. Love, kuroame16.

--

November 29, 1984

"Ow! Fuck!" I cringed as I felt my foot shift uncomfortably over thick leather. Nothing like dancing to remind you you have two left feet.

I cringed in embarrassment. "Sorry." Nanette glared daggers at me as she lifted up her foot and rubbed it in an attempted to sooth the ache.

"Miss Himmelfarb! Watch your language! What if your father were here?" This sort of reprimand was a common occurence in our weekly lessons. I figured out rather quickly that Nanette's being the rabbi's daughter meant she was supposed to practically ooze 'elegant' and 'proper'. I also quickly learned Nanette had an entirely different opinion on the subject.

"I don't give a shit! He crushed my foot!"

I rolled my eyes and mumbled under my breath. "Oh, please. Like I could cause any real damage through that fucking combat boot."

"Mr. Cohen!" Our instructor's angry stare shifted over to me. Sometimes it amazes me how long it took for me to figure out that adults are, in fact, not deaf.

"Sorry, Miss Liza." Liza Delgado was a woman in her late twenties. She refused to be called 'Miss Delgado' because she claimed it made her feel like the old maid she actually was. Rumor had it she moved to New York from Florida to be a dancer on Broadway but never quite got that big break. The well worn skirts and cheap jewelry she sported were a good hint that she was used to living in poverty. This and her caramel skin made her stick out like a sore thumb in Scarsdale, which isn't exactly known for it's diversity. Needless to say most of the other adults didn't look too highly on her.

She sighed, covered her face with her hands, and shook her head."Just start over, you two." She rewound the music cassette and started it from the beginning. "Now step, step..." We obliged and actually did something not unlike dancing. "Much better! Now, let's try a dip."

I somehow managed to keep eye contact as I whispered over to Nanette. "Okay, ready?"

"Just _do_ it already," she responded with a condescending look.

"Right." I held her in my arms and slowly guided her down in an almost perfect dip. Then, grinning malevolently, I let her slip from my grasp and fall flat on her ass.

"Ow! You did that on purpose!"

"Heh...oops?" I shrugged as I heard Miss Liza groan in frustration.

"Okay, that's enough for today, you two. Go frustrate someone else, you damn punk kids." It was sometimes confusing how quickly she could go out of teacher mode and back into her not-so-normal self. The soft chuckle Nanette and I heard escape from her as we walked out led on that she was more fond of us than her words suggested.

Nanette quickly fired up a Camel and started walking down the street. I started heading toward my own house when I heard her call back to me. "You coming or what?"

I stopped mid step. "Huh?"

She turned back and looked at me. "Food. I'm starving. You coming with me or not?"

I shook off the bewildered look I knew was forming on my face.

"Um...sure."


	16. Chapter 16

AN: So Wednesday was officially the best day ever! I went to New York and saw Adam and Anthony reprising their roles in RENT. It was absolutely amazing! Guess who got her inspiration back ;).

December 20, 1984

"Thank god! If you two had fucked up one more lesson, I was gonna burn down the building with all three of us in it." Miss Liza smiled proudly at us as we walked the five blocks from the community center to Mike's Pizza Shop. To celebrate Nanette and I getting through an entire song for the first time without missing a step she offered to buy us dinner. Us being teenagers, refusing free food would be insanity.

Nanette and I shared a sideways glance. "This is kinda weird," she mumbled. I widened my eyes and nodded in agreement.

"Why? What's weird about it?" Miss Liza cocked her head to the side and looked at us questioningly.

I felt myself tense up for a moment, forgetting once again that adults hear everything. I left myself relax slightly after a moment, but still felt awkward as I answered. "Well, you're a _teacher_. And you're taking us to _dinner_. It's just...weird."

Miss Liza rolled her eyes at us as she fished absentmindedly through her purse. "Oh, please. With what they're paying me I can hardly be called a 'teacher'. And besides, I'm not _that_ much older than you." She rummaged a few moments more, then sighed in frustration. "Gimme a cigarette, would you?"

My jaw must have dropped a foot. "What?!" It was absurd to me at the time that an adult would even consider the possibility of a teenager smoking.

I swear that woman's eye rolling muscles were strong enough to overturn a van if she could have figured out how. "Come, on I smell it on both on you every time you come inside for your lesson. At least one of you has some."

I looked over at Nanette. She smirked and gave a shrug of her shoulders as she slipped a cigarette out of her own pack and handed it past me to Miss Liza's waiting hand.

"So..." the older woman began before flicking her lighter and inhaling deeply "what are you two doing for Christmas?"

"We're Jewish," Nanette answered.

"Yeah," I added. "My family isn't even gonna be home that night. They're visiting some friends in Boston until Wednesday."

Miss Liza nodded, taking another drag. "Right, right. Sorry, I forget sometimes. I was raised Catholic."

"Heh. You don't strike me as the Catholic type."

She smiled at me as she flicked ashes onto the ground. "I never said I liked it, kiddo."

"Wait!" Nanette interupted. "Your family's away?" She stared at me in awe. "As in, there are no adults in your house for almost a week?"

"Uh...yeah, why?"

She pointed at me and exclaimed "I am _so_ spending the weekend at your place! I'm bringing movies!"

Miss Liza shook her head and chuckled. She tossed her cigarette aside as she held the door to the pizza place open for us.

"So kids, what do you want on your tombstone?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind."


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Woot! New chappy already! I also made a few minor edits to the end of chapter 9...there was something that was bothering me as to how it was going to fit into the later parts of the story and I think I figured it out, but it required some slight changes, so be sure to go back and read it. So, shiny new reviews please?

---

December 23, 1984

Malcolm MacDowell's malicious gaze stared back at us from the screen. I've never seen a man with creepier eyelashes.

"I can't believe you've never seen anything by Kubrick before," Nanette said between bites of popcorn for what must have been the third time that night. "You have no idea what you're missing." She lay against me on the couch with her bare feet resting on the opposite arm.

"I can't even understand what he's _saying_ half the time." I cocked my head in confusion. "What the hell is 'moloko'?"

"'Milk'. He talks in a weird slang," she explained. "After you get used to it, it's pretty cool."

"Riiiight. I'll take your word for it," I replied with a hint of sarcasm.

She looked up at me and stuck out her tongue. I grinned and before she could react, placed a piece of popcorn on it. Without missing a beat she ate the kernel, continuing to pout at me.

"My turn!" I closed my eyes and stuck out my tongue expectantly. I was then pelted in the face with the entire contents of the popcorn bowl.

"Ack! What was that for?!" I brushed the pile of kernels off my chest and stomach.

"So you don't forget that you're _my_ bitch, and not the other way around." She sat up and put her hands on her hips, glaring at me in challenge.

I lunged at her and began tickling her sides. "Oh, really? Is that so?" I antagonized her through her shrieks of laughter. "Oh, look at that! The tough girl's ticklish!"

In a rush of adrenaline, Nanette pushed me off the couch and jumped on top of me, beginning her own tickle-assault. "I wouldn't get so fucking confident, Cohen!"

We wrestled until I was able to get her under me again. When she attempted to continue her onslaught, I pinned her arms above her head. We struggled to catch our breathe, giggling like idiots...

Then our eyes met and I realized that, before that night, I'd never seen Nanette truly smile. A smirk or a sarcastic little upward pull of her lips maybe, but not a _real_ smile. When she smiled now her entire face changed. Her eyes danced and her nose crinkled up.

I also noticed that this was the first time I'd seen Nanette without make-up. All the dark eye shadow and lipstick gave her this hard, edgy look. In the absence of them she looked so much softer and sweet, almost delicate...

She was fucking gorgeous.

I smirked and leaned down, pressing a playful kiss on her nose. I pulled back an inch or so and chuckled quietly. She stared at me with an expression I couldn't read.

Then without warning she leaned up and kissed me. It started out gentle, her lips barely brushing mine, but it quickly grew deeper and hungry as I gained the courage to move my lips with hers. I felt her tongue slip into my mouth and it caused a surge through my body. If a first kiss really does feel anything like electricity traveling through your body as it is so often described, I'm saying here and now that I would prefer to die by being struck by lightning.

After an eternity she pulled away and raised a quizzical eyebrow at me. "What that your first?"

I felt my cheeks become pink. "Um...yeah, actually. It was."

She smiled at me again and leaned towards my neck. "Not bad," I heard her whisper before caressing my flesh with her lips, making a trail up to my ear where she proceeded to nibble. It sent shivers down my spine.

In retaliation, I began planting kisses along her collar bone and running my fingers up her stomach and under her shirt. I heard her inhale sharply through her teeth and let out a quiet moan. "Fuck, you learn quick."

I grinned, still feeling quite shy about the whole situation, but trying my best to sound smooth. "Well, I usually do."

Her arms now free, Nanette pulled herself out from under me and stood. Then she grabbed my hand and led me toward the stairs. "I've got a whole lot more to teach you Cohen, if you think you're up for it."

I licked my lips. I don't remember whether it was because of anticipation or nervousness. Or...yes. "Um...not yet, but give it a minute."


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Wow, this chapter is long! I really like the way it turned out, though. So, can it be reviews time now please? ((adorable kitten eyes))

December 24, 1984

"Nanette! Would you at least let me close the curtain first?!" I scrambled towards the window, wrapping a sheet haphazardly around my waist and dragging it with me.

Nanette was walking around my room, not taking a single precaution to disguise the fact that she was naked as the day she was born. "Please, Cohen. It's one thirty in the morning. No one's gonna be looking into your window in the middle of the night." She started searching through the top left drawer of my dresser: also known as the junk drawer.

She pulled out a small pile of cards and splayed them out in her hands. "_Baseball_ cards? _You_ collect baseball cards?"

I frantically pulled the curtain across the window, still clutching at the sheet around my waist. "Hey! My dad gave me those!"

She shook her head and chuckled, putting the cards away and closing the drawer to move on to more interesting things. She picked my scarf off the floor with her toes and tossed it up into her hand. "Y'know, you _really_ have to stop wearing this thing to class."

I took a few steps forward, almost tripping over the sheets, my eyes on my feet. I noted that even my stomach was still flushed. "Why, what's wrong with it?"

Nanette smirked and twirled the scarf around playfully. "Because. Only gay drama coaches wear scarves indoors. And why won't you look at me?"

I glanced in her direction, then quickly stared back at the floor. "Because you're _naked_."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her place a hand on her hip. "It's called a '_pussy_', Cohen. And you were more than happy to see it a few hours ago, so just chill the fuck out."

"Could we not..." I looked over at her instinctively, then quickly remembered why I was adverting my gaze in the first place and turned away again "...discuss my sexuality, please?"

"Why the hell not? I'd say if anyone's allowed to speculate, it's me." She sat on the bed and started inspecting the contents on my nightstand. "Although I will say you have too much potential to be outright gay. If you were bi, though...that'd be kinda hot."

The flustered feeling finally fading, I sat on the other side of the bed and looked at her. "So...you're saying I was good?" I felt a smile pull at my lips.

She picked up a bottle of cologne and sprayed some into the air. "For a first timer? Definitely. You were a bit awkward, but you'll get over that."

I raised my eyebrows and chuckled. "Says the expert."

She paused a moment, then thunked the cologne bottle down and looked straight at me. "What, you think I'm some sort of slut?"

"You had a condom in your _pocket_!"

"I know girls at school who keep condoms in their backpacks and are _virgins_. We'd rather have one and not need it than need it and not have one."

I shook my head and looked away, not sure what to think anymore. "Cohen..." I felt her crawl across the bed and pull at my toga/sheet.

"Hey!" I tried to pull it back, but to no avail.

"Stop fucking _hiding_, damn it, and _look _at me!" She ripped the sheet off and leaned towards me in a position very familiar from a few hours ago, only this time it didn't feel sexual at all. I couldn't take my eyes off her face. She looked almost...betrayed. "Is that what you really think of me?"

"Nanette, I didn't mean-"

"I don't care what you think you meant," she cut me off "I want to know what you _really_ think. Because yes, I have done this before. Three times. With _boyfriends_. Who I actually gave a shit about, and I thought gave a shit about me. And you know what? Every time, when we were finished they kicked me out because they'd gotten the only thing they wanted from me." She leaned closer and kissed me on the cheek. "I knew you'd never do something like that to me, Mark...because you really _do_ give a shit."

I wrapped my arms around her. "I'm sorry I was an ass."

"Heh. Water under the bridge."

I bit my lip and finally asked the question that had been plaguing my mind for hours. "So...are we a couple now?"

I heard her hold back a laugh. "Pfft! No."

She must have felt my shoulders sink because she sighed and pulled back to look at me. "I mean, think about it. I love you, but I don't _love_ you. We're just good friends...who happen to find each other really hot." She stuck out her tongue and winked at me. "Besides, you needed this. You're _way_ too uptight sometimes. That doesn't mean it's every gonna happen again. Not with me, anyway."

I looked up in thought for a moment. "Actually...yeah. I don't think I could _ever_ date _you_." I scanned her up and down in mock disgust.

"Hey! Fuck you." She squirmed away from me and went back to her previous task.

I widened my eyes, not able to pass up the opportunity. "_Again_?!"

She giggled as she picked up a necklace laying haphazardly on the nightstand. I hadn't worn it in almost two months. "Now _this_ is girly even for you."

As soon as the green flashed into my eyes, all joking was tossed aside. "Don't touch that."

Nanette grinned at me and continued to inspect the gem. "Why? It looks kinda cheep anyway."

I reached across the bed and snatched it out of her grasp. "I _said_ don't touch it!"

She glared daggers at me. "What the fuck is your-" A look of realization crossed her face. "Oh..."

We turned away, looking at opposite corners of the room. I heard her light up a cigarette.

"Dude, just fucking talk to her."

I immediately changed the subject, tucking the necklace under my mattress. "I can't _believe_ you're smoking in my bed...let me try that." We lay down next to each other, our bodies overlapping by about two feet as she passed the cigarette to me. I tryed inhaling but started coughing halfway through.

"You don't inhale directly from the cigarette, idiot. You suck the smoke into your mouth and then take a breath." I tried again, this time only coughing once, and passed it back to her. We lay in silence for a while, performing what I was later told was called a 'two puff pass'. When it was done, Nanette stubbed out the cigarette in an old bowl I'd made in 9th grade art class. Then she flicked off the light and curled up under the blankets. I followed suit, resting my head under my arms and staring at the ceiling.

"So when are you gonna tell me about her?"

"...Go to sleep, Nanette."


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Wow, I'm really getting back into the swing of things now! If any of the old readers are still following this, I'd absolutely love to hear from you. I miss you!

P.S. I don't own the band, songs, Mark, Nanette, or RENT. I don't even own the computer I'm typing this on.

P.P.S. Yes, I really do know people who match this description of a stress smoker/sometimes smoker. And yes, I do hate them :P.

---

June 12, 1985

The months flew by. Before I knew it, my junior year was over and my final summer break from high school had begun.

I leaned against a wall near the bus terminal, smoking a cigarette and waiting for Nanette. I had become what people call a 'sometimes smoker' or 'stress smoker'. I could go for weeks and weeks without having any, then on a really stressful night go through two, sometimes three packs. Or sometimes I'd buy a pack, smoke half because I felt like it, then get tired of them and give them to Nanette. The addiction never really caught on. I literally _could_ stop whenever I wanted to, and did. Real smokers hate people like me.

"When the hell did you start wearing band shirts?" Nanette asked as she walked past me and sat on the bench.

I looked down at the black Sex Pistols shirt covering my torso and replied "When I gained a sense of self. Where the hell did you get money for bus tickets?"

"When I told my parents I was visiting my cousin Maureen, or as I call her 'the one who still owes me five alibis'."

The bus pulled up and came to a stop in front of us, almost drowning out my voice."'_Maureen_? God, does your family smoke a bowl before naming their kids?"

"Shut the fuck up and get on." I tossed my cigarette to the ground and shoved my hands into my pockets, following her to the back seat and plopping down.

"So where are we going, anyway?" I wasn't expecting an answer. Nanette rarely gave them.

"Do you trust me?" She already knew I did. That question was always her response whenever I asked where we were going or what we were doing.

I leaned back in my seat and stretched out my arms. "I guess I _have_ to."

"Good. Now hold still for a little while, okay?" She rummaged through her pockets (I swear, that girl could keep enough hidden in her pockets to cause a small public disturbance) and pulled out a small bottle of glue. She opened it up and slathered a generous amount of the gooey contents into her hands. Then she reached over and started running her fingers through my hair.

"_Ah! What the fuck are you doing?_!" She continued to assault my scalp and I had nowhere to run to so I tried to push her away and scramble out of her reach. "My mom's gonna _KILL_ me! That shit'll never come out!"

"I said hold still! Quit being a baby, Cohen!" I stopped squirming, but continued to whimper uncomfortably.

"What are you doing to my _head_?" I choked out, almost afraid of the answer.

"You'll see in a minute." She put the finishing touches on by grabbing chunks of my hair and gently pulling upwards. "Aaaaannnnd, done!" She pulled out a make-up case and opened it, handing it to me. "Take a look for yourself."

I stared into the tiny mirror, almost unable to recognize myself. "You _spiked_ my hair." I gawked at my reflection, not quite registering yet whether I loved it or hated it. I tilted the mirror so I could get a better look at the top. Then, slowly, my lips formed into a smile. "That's so awesome..."

"Of course it is! Now just sit tight and wait."

An hour or two passed, with me still having no idea what was happening. Suddenly the bus came to a stop, and I looked over at Nanette curiously. She grinned and grabbed my arm, dragging me outside.

I looked around me and saw endless rows of lights, buildings that grew so far into the sky I couldn't see the tops, rows of traffic that seemed nonstop at some points and completely frozen at others. "Holy shit..."

"Welcome to Alphabet City."

I continued to stare up into the sky, almost in a daze. "This is fucking beautiful..."

"Mark, car." I heard Nanette call from my left.

"What? AAAHH!" I jumped out of the street onto the sidewalk just in time to feel the strong breeze of a passing taxi. I noticed Nanette was already halfway down the street and ran to catch up. "So _why_ are we in Alphabet City, aside from trying to get me killed?"

"_That_ was your own damn fault. And if you'll keep your pants on for a little while longer, you'll know and then you'll thank me." She lit up a cigarette and kept her fast stride, focused ahead unless she was crossing the street. I quickly learned that crosswalk signs meant nothing here.

My eyes were taking in everything, stopping at least once every two blocks because something new and shiny caught my attention. It was so incredibly different from Scarsdale. So much more..._alive_.

Nanette groaned in frustration and grabbed my arm, once again forcing me to move forward. My feet followed her, but my eyes stayed glued to the billboards, advertising everything from sneakers to the television shows premierring that fall. "Wow...I wish I'd brought my camera."

Nanette let out a short laugh. "No, you _really_ don't. You wouldn't even have it anymore."

I felt my hand instinctively go to the chain connecting my wallet to my belt. "Really? I thought those stories were just Mom and Dad's way of trying to keep me at home."

She shrugged. "Yes and no. If you freak out too much, you're an easy target. Same as if your gawking at everything." She gave me a pointed look. "Either way, it's proof that you're a tourist and don't know what the fuck's happening. So just be cool."

"Oh. Okay then." I tried to emulate her demeanor, shoving my hands into my pockets and walking briskly to our destination.

About 13 blocks, half an hour, and 10 cigarettes between us later we arrived outside a nightclub with a canopy over the entrance. Music blared and a familiar growl of a voice tore through the air. I knew the song almost by heart, but I couldn't believe it.

_I have a lot to show you  
Feel I have something to prove__  
There's things I'd like to tell you__  
My brain is slow to move__  
I wish you'd give me a second__  
So I could make you see__  
That no one in the world could look at you__  
And see the things I see_

"This is-" I pointed to the sign above the door.

Nanette grinned widely, clearly proud she had kept up the surprise for this long. "CBGB's."

I pointed to the door in mild shock. "And that's-"

"_Wound Up_. Black Flag, baby!" She giggled and pushed me through the doors, handing the bouncer the cover charge as we passed by.

As soon as we entered my eyes immediately fell to the stage and focused on the big man in shorts screaming into the microphone. Henry fuckin' Rollins.

"I _really_ wish I had brought my camera."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: The reunion. Sorry I had to keep them apart for so long. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Reviews for the poor? (holds out tin can labeled 'reviews')

August 27, 1985

"I can't believe I'm even doing this..." I muttered to myself as I walked down the street, shoving a small trinket into my pocket. I headed toward the park. I didn't know why. I supposed at the time that it was some sort of immature, whiny inability to move on and forget the things behind me.

I approached a very familiar picnic table and sat on it, my legs bent in front of me in the Burmese position. Looking at the sky, I realized that I had arrived much later than usual. The sun was already setting, the rays of light becoming smaller and smaller.

I stared at a group of squirrels. Several of them chased another up a tree. My gaze shifted to an ant crawling around the legs of the table. And yet another shift of my eyes towards a gaggle of geese flying overhead.

This went on for a while until I looked at the sky once again and noticed it was becoming dusk. The electric lights throughout the park would be turning on any minute. I drummed my fingers on my knees impatiently.

I looked at my watch. I had been sitting there for almost an hour. I shook my head and whispered to myself. "What was I even thinking?"

"I guess some things never change..." My heart skipped a beat. It had been nine months, twenty-five days, twelve hours, and thirty-seven minutes since I'd last heard that voice. Eight months, eleven days, nine hours, and fourteen minutes since she wrote me her last note, begging me to tell her what she'd done wrong because she still didn't understand. And as soon as I heard her voice, any anger I might have felt for whatever reasoning my insecure mind had created melted away.

Slowly, I leaned back and turned behind me to look in the direction the words came from. And for the first time in six months, two days, five hours, and three minutes, our eyes met. There was something different about them this time, though. They looked a bit more...pained. She wore a flow-y pink top and...jeans?

I smiled. "Hey."

She returned it. "Hey."

I pat the empty spot next to me on the table. "Come over here." She obliged, looking away somewhat awkwardly.

We sat in silence for a few moments, neither knowing how to begin. The minutes ticked by, and still nothing. I resolved myself on saying the first thing that came to mind. And to my surprise, she chose that same moment to say the exact same thing.

"I'm sorry."

We looked at each other and giggled. The lights clicked on as the sun finally set in the horizon.

"What are _you_ sorry for?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I...I really don't know, but...apparently it was really bad-"

I shook my head and interrupted. "Ape, you have nothing to apologize for. I was out of line, I overreacted and I just...you didn't do anything wrong, okay?"

"Then...what was this all about?" Her red hair hung in her face. God, how I missed that face...

I sighed. "I guess, somehow I got it into my head that you were only friends with me anymore because I was the quiet, kinda nerdy kid and you were the cute, popular girl and you felt sorry for me."

I saw a look of pain cross her face. "Mark...you know I'd never do that to you."

"I know, I know." I reached under my glasses and rubbed my eyes. "But when I figured that out, it made me realize what an ass hole I'd been and...I couldn't face you after that."

"Well, we're both here now, right?" She reached over closed the gap between our hands. "Happy birthday, Marky."

I smiled and squeezed her fingers. "Happy birthday, Sunshine. Sorry it's almost a year late."

She looked at my clothing. "Speaking of which, when did you start wearing _Black Flag_ t-shirts?"

I tugged at the cloth of the shirt. "Since Nanette took me to one of their shows. Since when do you wear jeans? I haven't seen you go out in anything but skirts since junior high."

April looked away from me and picked at a loose thread from her shirt. While her gaze was adverted, I quickly pulled the peridot necklace out of my pocket and slipped it around my neck. It felt right that I start wearing it again that day.

My eyes traveled down her legs. I liked her better in pants. It reminded me of when we were younger, playing in sandboxes and studying math together and...wait. My eyes stopped at her ankle. Was that..._blood_?

I reached over and tried to pull up a leg of her pants. She jerked away in panic. "Mark! What the hell?!"

"Show me your legs."

She quickly whipped up a look of mild confusion mixed with humor. "I'd caught you looking at them before, but I didn't think you liked them _that _much." I could still see the terror in her eyes. I wasn't fooled for a second.

"_What the FUCK is wrong with your legs, April?!_" It echoed through the park as I made another grab for the cloth.

"Mark, _don't_!" Her protest was to no avail. I finally got a hold of the hem and quickly pulled it up.

I took in a slow, shuddering breath, my eyes widening until they felt dry and exposed. "Oh my god..."

My eyes followed the dark, criss-cross pattern of cuts going all the way up her calves and past her knees, extending beyond where her skin had been exposed. As they got further up the leg, they looked older, beyond the point of scabbing and having scarred. The ones that first caught my attention, down by her ankles, looked fresh, able to be split open if she moved her foot in just the wrong way.

They looked so perfect, so well thought out, so pretty in their uniformity. They made me want to vomit.

I dared to look up at her. Tears were already forming in her eyes. "You did this, didn't you?" Her silence was the only answer I needed. "Why would you...I mean..." I could barely speak. What the hell had happened since that day?

She leaned against me, sobbing silently. Not knowing what else to do, I started to rub her back in an attempt to calm her down. I felt her wince for a moment and froze. I gazed over her shoulder at her back and lifted her shirt up to where my hand had been. She made no attempt to stop me.

That exact spot, as well as several other places on her back and sides, was covered with a large purple and black bruise. "Shit..." I breathed. "Shit, shit. Who did this?" She didn't answer. "Was it someone at school? We'll just tell your dad about it and he'll take care of it." Then she started to laugh. "What? April, what...what's so funny?"

She looked up at me, eyes displaying a sick entertainment at an apparent irony in something I'd said. "My parents got divorced six months ago. I haven't seen my dad since he moved out. My mom's new boyfriend doesn't talk much, but I guess it shows that he prefers action over words."

I stared at her in disbelief. How could I not have known? How much hell had she gone through while I wasn't paying attention?

I pulled her to me and held her, rocking back and forth gently. I kissed her cheeks and hummed lullabies as she let out her pain.

Then I whispered in her ear. "I'm never letting you go again..."


	21. Chapter 21

AN: This chapter is a bit shorter than the last few have been. I'll make it up to you with the next one, it'll be extra long! R & R, please!

---

February 14, 1986

"So how's the chocolate?" I pushed of the ground with my feet, causing the swing I was sitting on to move a meager six inches back and forth.

April held the little heart shaped box in her lap, leaning left to right and causing her swing to move side to side about the same distance mine was. "Good. How're the hearts?"

I looked down at the little plastic bag in my hand, reached in, grabbed one, and ate it. "Chalky and bland." A hand struck my shoulder. "Ow!"

"Shut up, they're your favorite and you _know_ it!" I glared at her, knowing full well that she was right.

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, happy Singles Awareness Day."

"Oh, stop being such a pessimist! Happy Valentine's Day."

I looked at my knees, which were so close to my chest I felt any minute I could stumble and knock the wind out of myself. "When did all this shit get so small?"

April looked down at her own feet. "When we got too old to have recess. All swings in the area made a pact to shrink cause we weren't supposed to use them anymore."

I chuckled. The ice broken somewhat, I approached the topic that had really been on my mind the last few weeks. "Have you finished moving your stuff into your dad's place yet?"

She nodded. "Yeah, everything except a few books and some clothes. And John and Mom aren't talking anymore. But if she's gonna be bringing guys like him home, Dad and I don't trust her anymore. At least I don't have to worry about running into him when I go to pick everything up."

I sighed. April had been the girl down the street all my life, but now..."I can't believe you're moving." I frowned and put on my best puppy dog eyes.

"Don't give me that look. I have to do it and you know that. Besides, it's only a ten minute drive."

"Yeah, you're right. So...how are your scars?" I had convinced my parents to let me keep a phone in my room so April could call me whenever she needed to. There was at least one night every week where we'd be talking for more than five hours just so I could calm her down. Half the time we hung up we were both too tired to keep ourselves awake anymore, the other half because the sun had come up and we had to get to school. At this point in time, she had not taken a razor to her skin with the intention of self harm for about three months.

"Well, aside from that one" she rolled up her pant leg and indicated to a small cut on her calf "which really _is_ from shaving" and I knew I could believe her "...they're a lot better than before. Some of them only show up when I'm showering."

"You think they'll be gone by June?" I smiled hopefully and twiddled my fingers.

"They might be. But some of the worse ones might never go away. Why?" She returned my smile, but with an air of confusion.

"Well..." June meant only two things to seniors. One of them was graduation, finally getting out of the social hellhole of high school. The other..."It's just something to take into consideration when you pick out a dress..." I glanced down at my hands for a split second, then looked back up at her. "For when I take you to the prom."

She flashed a beautiful grin at me. "Well, I'd better get shopping then."


	22. Chapter 22

AN: The big night...here goes nothing! I had so much fun writing this chapter! I've been wanting to do it since the beginning, so please tell me what you think! Happy reading! P.S. The songs belong to A-Ha and Queen.

---

June 6, 1986

I quickly got out of the car, leaned against the door, and sighed. I had managed to get away unscathed. April and I agreed to meet at the prom. We didn't need our parents fawning over us, telling us how _handsome_ or _pretty _we looked, and taking all kinds of embarrassing pictures. This night was too damn special.

I looked down at bouquet in my hands. It contained three blue periwinkles surrounded by a dozen white daisies. April hated roses. _Hated_ them. She claimed they were the flower people chose when they didn't feel like putting any real thought into them.

I started absentmindedly picking at them, removing a few petals I found unsatisfactory. Then I realized the similarity between me and the flowers and my mom and I. I forced myself to stop.

I heard cars pulling up and the clicking of heels all around me. I kept my eyes to the ground, feeling like I didn't belong here. That is, until I heard heeled footsteps headed my way.

I quickly glanced up, then back down...then I slowly moved my gaze upwards again in disbelief.

"What do you think, Marky? Is it me?" April asked, setting down her handbag and giving a small twirl, the skirt of the gown moving perfectly with her body. It was a dark blue dress tied at her shoulders in two little bows. The hem reached a few inches past her knees and flowed like a waterfall around her. The back laced up with light blue and silver ribbons. Above the skirt, it hugged every breathtaking inch of her body. Her green eyes were adorned with a gorgeous teal shadow and bright green liner. Her lips were painted with the subtlest of colors, a mere shade darker than their natural appearance (that was all she ever needed). The heels on her feet wrapped delicately around her ankles and brought her up to eye level with me. And most amazing of all, to the _both_ of us...her legs were _perfect_.

My heart didn't stop or skip a beat, because I was all too aware of its pounding in my chest. My breath didn't get caught in my throat, I simply felt like I no longer needed air to survive. And I didn't mumble any words of admiration or adoration. My voice escaped me, knowing no words it could ever speak could even begin to describe the pure awe I felt.

And in that moment, I not only understood, I _knew_. I knew why cavemen gathered plants and primitive dyes just so they could draw on their walls. I knew why Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. I knew why Beethoven composed his symphonies. It was because they saw beauty such as the one standing right in front of me.

I walked over and placed my hands on her shoulders. I wanted to take her somewhere far away and show her exactly how beautiful I thought she was. Instead, I settled for placing a small, sweet kiss on her forehead.

"I think I love you..." The words came out in a whisper before I even knew they had formed in my head.

Her skin turned a charming shade of pink. "Heh...you look really handsome, Mark."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. All tuxes look the same."

She reached over and straightened my lapels. "Exactly, which means _some_ guys look ridiculous in them."

"Um...thanks?"

April grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the community center entrance, only stopping to pick up her handbag. "Come on, already! I wanna dance!"

"Hey, wait! Let me set the flowers down first!"

We pushed past the crowds and camera flashes, stopping only for a moment at our table to drop off our accessories, then half running straight onto the dance floor.

As A-Ha's _Take On Me_ blared throughout the room, I only hesitated for a moment before joining the crowd in my own version of what could be called 'dancing'. April gave me a confused look. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Um...dancing?" I raised an eyebrow in question. "Duh."

She chuckled at me as she swayed to the music. "God, you're such a spaz."

"Shut up and have fun, Ape."

The next hour or so passed somewhat uneventfully. The music was mostly terrible, even if none of us knew it yet. The beat stayed fast, allowing for little breaks. A few people made requests, but none of them were worth while.

After a while, she led me back to our table, where food we had no intention of eating had been sitting for god knows how long. "Hey, I'm gonna quick go to the bathroom. Don't get lost out here by yourself, okay?"

I shot her a sideways glare. "I'm not _that_ helpless, April."

She grabbed her handbag and gave me a wink before scurrying off. "Keep telling yourself that, Marky."

I sat and drummed my fingers on the table. A new song came and went with me barely noticing as I watched the crowd. It amazed me how no one stood out. They looked like an amoeba, moving as one. I wondered if they all saw it like that or if every guy saw his date the way I saw April tonight: flawless.

A voice startled me out of my thoughts. "You didn't really think you could escape me tonight, did you Cohen?"

I turned to see a girl in a bright pink dress with a short, stiff skirt and heels that laced up to her knees. Her mohawk had been dyed to match. "Nanette? Is that you?"

She put a hand on her hip and gave me that impatient look of hers. "Who the fuck else _would_ it be?"

I widened my eyes in surprise. She looked so _different_ in a dress. "Oh my god!"

She slapped my arm. "Shut up! I look pretty, damn it!"

"Actually, yeah. You do." I raised an eyebrow in mock seduction.

Nanette rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah, you clean up nice, too. Doesn't mean I'm paying for a fucking motel room."

We laughed for a moment before falling into silence. Then I gestured to the crowd. "So what are you up to? And where's your date?"

She scoffed. "You honestly think I'd bring a _date_ to this thing? I look better without arm candy." She gave a small shrug. "Right now though, I'm just waiting for the chaperone to stop stuffing his face at the snack table so I can spike the punch. You?"

I returned the shrug. "Just waiting for April. She's in the bathroom or something."

"Wow. You do realize it could be hours before she gets back, right? She's probably fixing her make-up or some shit like that."

I stood up and stuck my hands in my pockets. "Yeah, probably."

Nanette stared at me for a moment, then indicated to the dance floor with her head. "Come on, you're dancing with me. That crappy DJ's gotta be putting on something impressive soon. And we've gotta show off, right?"

I followed her over just in time to hear Freddie Mercury's voice beginning one of my favorite songs as we started to demonstrate the benefits of our lessons.

_Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time  
I feel ali-i-i-ive_

We began with slow steps, Nanette smiling smugly at me the entire time.

"What's so funny?" I asked, although I knew I was smiling, too.

"Wait for it..." She continued the dance for a few moments, that same smug smile on her face...

I'll never know how Nanette pulled it off, but one second I was turning her, and the next April was in my arms, looking just as surprised as I was. Sneaky bitch.

_So don't stop me now_

Our eyes locked, both equally shocked and confused. Then we smiled.

_Don't stop me_

And we picked up exactly where Nanette and I had left off.

_Cause I'm having a good time  
Having a good time_

We moved flawlessly together, her following my lead as if it were something she'd done a thousand times. The universe disappeared. The only things left were me, her, and the music.

I twirled her out with a flourish. She squeeled in surprised joy. "Mark, when the hell did you learn how to dance?"

I grinned and twirled her back into my arms. "You haven't seen _half_ of it."

_I'm burning through the sky, yeah  
Two hundred degrees__  
That's why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit__  
I'm traveling at the speed of light__  
I wanna make a supersonic woman of you_

Without breaking eye contact, I swept her legs out from under her for a dip. "How's that for starters?" I asked as I pulled her back up and allowed her to stand again.

I'd never seen April looking so alive. "You're amazing! I'm gonna have to take lessons!"

I shook my head. "You don't need them."

_La la la, la la la la la_

As the music faded out, I placed my hand on the small of her back and guided her in a simple waltz. When the song came to an end (all too soon for me). we stood there, catching our breath, unable to wipe the grins off our faces. Then suddenly the world appeared again, and we heard a noise that seemed to be coming from all directions. We looked around and saw that all eyes were focused on April and I. They were..._clapping_? For _us_?

I looked at April and took her hand. And we did the only thing two people can do in that situation. Stepping forward, we took a dramatic bow and waved to our classmates.

"It's gonna be a good night, Sunshine."


	23. Chapter 23

AN: The conclusion of prom night. I don't own _Flashdance_ or _The Dark Crystal_. If anyone is still keeping up with this, please let me know by reviewing. I'd like to think more than two people are enjoying it :P.

---

June 6, 1986 continued

April and I stared lazily at the television screen, the volume barely audible so as not to disturb my family. We were sprawled out on the couch, me using the arm as a pillow and her lying on top of me with her head reaching just up to my collar bone. I don't remember what channel we were watching. It didn't matter, though, because we were still basking on the glow of what is typically the most memeriable night in the life of a high school student.

"By the way, I didn't say so before, but thanks for the flowers." She indicated to the vase on the coffee table where the daisies and periwinkles had been placed for the night.

I chuckled, running my hand along her back and toying with the ribbons on her dress. "Thanks for going to the prom with a dork like me. I'd always thought this night would be you having a date with some big, strong, handsome guy and me sitting home alone watching _Flashdance_ or something lame like that."

She reached her hand up and softly caressed my cheek. "Well, you were right about the first part..."

I felt a small blush creeping into my cheeks, my skin tingling at the contact. "Oh, come on, Ape. I don't fit that description at all."

"Yes, you do. You may not be a quarterback, but you're heart's more than big enough. And even though you wear those geeky glasses, you still look better than any other guy when you're dressed up." She lifted her head up and leaned over me, looking me in the eyes. "And even though you can't do pull-ups...you're stronger than I'll ever be..."

For the second time that night, oxygen became optional. I saw the sincerity in her eyes and it made my chest ache. I reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Then I leaned forward, nigh closing the gap between us, our lips less than a breath apart.

"April..." I whispered, my lips brushing against hers so gently as I said her name that were it not for the shock waves I felt throughout my entire being, I almost wouldn't have realized it. _Almost_. For that one moment, I felt their softness, their warmth, their trembling, and they were so beautiful it broke my heart...

And then it was over...

She quickly pulled away, and casually reached over me to grab the remote. "So, I heard the late movie tonight is _The Dark Crystal_." She changed to the proper channel, and settled herself back into her previous position. "I _love_ Jim Henson. Screw the whole 'kid's movie' thing, he's a fucking genius." She nuzzled against me, making herself comfortable again and added through a yawn "Don't you think?"

I looked over at the screen, my mind not quite processing what had just happened. Or hadn't happened. "Um...yeah..."

The images of gelflings and the obviously fake but still oddly terrifying Skeskses danced across my vision, but my mind somehow failed to focus on what I was watching. My thoughts were moving through my head too quickly for me to keep track of any single one.

Within an hour of the movie's beginning, I felt April's breathing become steady and slightly slowed. I looked down at her, concluding the obvious: she had fallen asleep. She looked like an angel when she slept, her fingers curled around the folds of my shirt. I kissed the top of her head, the movie forgotten. The last thing I remember doing before falling asleep was singing to her sleeping form.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away..."


	24. Chapter 24

June 13, 1986

A popping sound filled the air as the cork sprang jubilantly from the bottle and off the side of the roof the three of us were sitting on. "_Whoo-hoo_! Drink the fuck up, bitches!" Nanette cried out, handing the beverage over to my waiting hand.

"Where the hell did you get champagne, anyway?" I took a swig, marveling for a moment at how similar it felt to soda in my mouth and passed it along to April.

Nanette winked at me. "Contrary to popular belief, older siblings _are_ in fact good for something. Alex happens to have just turned twenty-one last month." A sudden cough came from our left and we both looked over at April. "Not so fast, 'Rilly. This stuff has to last us all night, you know." She reached over and took the bottle from April, placing it in front of us.

I picked up my camera, and began to wind it up, marveling at the view. It's amazing what you can see from the top of a convenience store. I focused on the horizon, capturing it all in a slow pan. "June 13th, 1986, 10:17 PM. April, Nanette, and I are officially high school graduates." I looked towards April just as she shoved a handful of pretzels from the obscenely large bowl and grinned at her surprised expression. "April Ericksson makes her second film appearance. Say 'hi', Ape!"

"Mark! Not when I'm eating!" She let out a squeal and tried to hide her face. I chuckled and stood up, moving around her to film from every angle.

Realizing there was no escape, she indignantly reached for the champagne and took a few more chugs. She hiccuped and covered her mouth in surprise...then she giggled. "Ha!" I pointed teasingly. "Lightweight!"

"Is she drunk already?" Nanette asked through a cloud of smoke. "Maybe this shit's better than I though." She motioned for April to pass the bottle.

"Nah, just high metabolism. And she's fuckin' _lightweight_!" I explained, readjusting my distance from the two of them so I could get both April and Nanette in the same shot.

"Shut up, Mark! Just cause I don't drink a lot..." She pouted as Nanette sat up and handed the champagne over to me.

"You think I do this every night? I'm a 'coffee and cigarettes' girl. And Cohen here? Well, he's just a freak of nature." She stuck her tongue out at the camera lens before returning to her spot next to April, putting an arm around the other girl's shoulders.

I nearly coughed up the fizzy liquid as she spoke. "Hey! The girl with a mohawk says _I'm_ a freak of nature?" I panned to Nanette's face, April forgotten for the moment.

"Face it, Cohen. You are, indeed, a _freak_." She glanced over at April and smiled. "But it's okay. Know why?"

I lowered my camera for a moment and looked at her with my real eyes. "What?" I glared at her expectantly as I resumed my previous sitting position between the two girls.

Nanette moved her arm from April's shoulders to mine and gave a slight squeeze. "Cause you're _our_ freak."

April leaned over and hugged my other side. "Yep! She's right, Marky!"

I shook my head and looked down at my feet. But I couldn't help smiling to myself. "You guys are ridiculous." I wound up the camera a second time and pointed it at April. "So, a question for the beautiful and talented Miss Ericksson? What are your plans now that are forever free from the prison that is high school?"

"I think I'm gonna move to New York City. I need to get the hell out of here." She gestured to the lights of our hometown below. "We _all_ do. How about you? Still going to Brown?"

I nodded, moving the camera up and down to mimic my head's motions. "Yep, starting this fall. I mean, I guess it can't hurt. If anything, I'll at least meet people who are far more interesting than anyone here, present company excluded of course." I turned to my right and let the shot fall on Nanette. "And how about you, Miss Himmelfarb? Got any big, exciting plans for the rest of your life?"

Nanette looked shyly (Nanette? _Shy_?) at her feet and drew a circle on the ground with her finger. "Actually...I was thinking about moving to California..."

"California?" April leaned forward to look around me at our punk little friend. "Why so far away? You wanna be in movies or something?"

She shook her head and giggled quietly to herself. "Uh-uh. It's stupid, you'll laugh. Really." I couldn't help but notice she kept a small smile creeping onto her face.

"Oh, come on Nanette. If you could get through popping my cherry without laughing, I definitely owe it to you not to laugh now." I lifted my head above the camera to look at her, still filming.

Nanette sighed, still not looking at either me or April. "Fine. You remember David from Jr. High?"

"David Cunningham? That kid who moved away to..." April trailed off.

"California." Nanette finished. She began to play with her fingers, cracking her knuckles absentmindedly. "We were pretty good friends back then, and we exchanged addresses before he left. For a long time, we just wrote letters back and forth...but a few months ago we started talking on the phone, and...he said I could move into a place with him in San Francisco after I graduated."

My eyes widened in realization. April and I shared a knowing glance and giggled.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't laugh!" Nanette glared daggers at both of us as April and I bit out lips to regain our somewhat more serious composure.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just..." I gave her a sideways look and finished in a sing-song voice. "Nanette's got a cru-ush!"

"Shut up!" She looked away from us, folding her arms. However, it wasn't long before I heard her own giggles joining mine and April's as she laid back and looked at up at the stars. "I do, don't I?"

"Uh huh!" April agreed, also lying back.

I set down my camera as the crank slowly came to a stop. "...A lot's changing, isn't it?"

"Well, duh. It _has_ to, Cohen."

"Yeah, Marky. Everything changes eventually."

I ran my fingers along my necklace, hoping she didn't actually mean _everything_. "Yeah...I guess so." I followed their lead and folded my hands under my head. They both took one of my arms as we all gazed upwards.

I sighed. "I'm really gonna miss my girls, though."

---

AN: Aww, the kids are growing up! (sniffles) Reviews, pwease?


	25. Chapter 25

AN: You know the drill. I don't own any of it.

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September 8, 1986

I stood outside the door, my backpack slung over one shoulder and my suitcase sitting to my right. I'd only seen a small portion of the campus and I was already completely overwhelmed. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a paper I'd already looked at five times as if I was expecting the room number to change. D13. I was in the right place.

Due to limited space this semester, they had been rooming a lot of the first-time students with returning students, if the upperclassmen approved. My roommate was graduating in the spring: a senior. I wondered if he really just didn't care or if he wanted to jump at the opportunity to have a weak little freshmen at his mercy twenty-four hours a day.

"Come on, Mark," I whispered to myself. "This isn't high school anymore. Ass hole seniors don't exist here. Now, all you have to do is open the door." After a few more moments of hesitation, I reached for the doorknob, only for it to be opened from the other side.

A young black man stood in front of me in a light sweater and slacks. He was a few inches taller than me and looked _much_ more athletic. "Are you just gonna stand there, kid, or are you gonna stop being so paraniod and make yourself at home?

I widened my eyes in shock, and perhaps a little fear. "Um...what?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I heard you walk up here like, five minutes ago. I was just waiting for you to open the door yourself or something, like a normal person. Then I remembered you're new meat." He grabbed my suitcase and stood to the side of the door. "Come on in, man. I only bite girls, I swear."

I stared at him a moment longer, then realized he had made a joke. Chuckling awkwardly, I stepped inside and sat down on the bed that looked like it was unclaimed.

The first thing I noticed about the room was how small it looked for a space that was supposed to be the main living area for two people. It was barely the size of my bedroom back home.

My roommate started pointing to different areas of the room, the best version of a 'tour' the lack of space allowed. "That's the mini-fridge, desk, record player, and the TV. I brought my Nintendo if you wanna play games." His eyes fell down to my hands. I followed his gaze and noticed I was twiddling my fingers.

He sighed and sat down across from me on his own bed. "Look, kid, calm down. I know, it all _seems_ big and scary right now, but trust me. The only real trick is balancing your work and your play. Oh, and when you buy food, _always _look for sales cause whatever money your parents might be sending you, it _ain't_ gonna be enough. The rest is basically common sense. Don't worry, I'll show you around. So, any questions so far?"

I looked down at my hands again nervously. "Well, I was wondering...is this...anything like high school?"

"You mean freshmen getting their asses kicked on a regular basis?" I nodded. "Not usually, but if anyone gives you trouble," he pointed to his chest "just tell 'em your my boy. They'll leave you alone. Anything else?"

I licked my lips and thought a moment. "Uh, yeah, actually."

He lifted his hand, gesturing for me to go on. "Alright, shoot."

I looked up at him, confused. "What the hell is your _name_?"

A look of realization crossed his face and he began laughing. It was full, melodious, and infectious. I felt myself following suit. "God, I feel like an ass." He said, standing up and extending his hand to me in greeting. "Benjamin Coffin III. You can call me 'Benny', though."

I took it and gave what I hoped was a firm, confident shake. "Mark. Mark Cohen," I said, doing my best Sean Connery impression.

Benny let out another chuckle. "Don't worry, Mark. You're gonna be okay."


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Sorry I took so long to update...again. I know where I want to go with this story, I even have ideas for at least three sequels (one multi-chapter and two one-shots). Sometimes figuring out the little steps in getting from point A to point B are a little harder for me to figure out. Thank you so much for everyone who's been patient with me. Updates may be sporadic because I started classes last week, but there will be more, I promise. A LOT more.

P.S. Guess who got to see Adam and Anthony live in RENT..._again?!_ I got Anthony's autograph this time...it made me squee with joy ((grins)).

---

November 1, 1986

It was 11:42 PM. At least, that's what time it was the last time I looked at the clock and could actually read it. I giggled, licking the last bits of chocolate out of my teeth. Chocolate had _never_ tasted better.

"Mark?" I looked away from the glow-in-the-dark elf that had been painted on the wall being illuminated by a black light and faced Benny who had just walked up to me. "What are you doing standing in the corner, man?"

I smiled widely, extremely happy to have a friend walk up to me. I chuckled and said "Benny, I love you, man."

Benny gave me a sideways glance. "You had one of Stacie's brownies, didn't you?"

I got excited as the olfactory memory kicked in (chocolate had also never smelled better...like a warm heaven). "I _did_! They were _awesome_! I think I'm gonna have another one!" I started to walk toward the plate of brownies, but Benny pushed me back into my corner. I pouted.

"Nah, I think you're good for now." He noticed the glass in my hand. "Whatcha got there, Mark?"

I looked down, just remembering the glass myself. "I don't _know_! They told me it was a 'screwdriver', but it's not. It's a _drink_ and it tastes like orange juice!"

Benny reached out and took the glass from me. "Right, I think you've had enough of a _lot_ of things for now. I'm gonna go get you some nachos, okay man?"

I gasped in delighted shock. "Nachos? You're awesome, Benny!"

"You too, kid!" he called back to me as he walked to the kitchen.

Some time passed after that. I'm not sure how much, because the next thing I remember, I was sitting on the floor and looking through my camera, casually reaching to my right now and then to eat a nacho from the plate beside me when I heard Benny's voice again.

"Mark, put the camera down."

"Why?" I whined.

"Because you've been filming your own crotch for the past ten minutes." he reasoned.

"Oh my god, I _have_?" I looked up at Benny in surprise, then back through the camera lens to confirm that the subject was, indeed, my own lap. "Wow...those _are_ my pants..."

Benny knelt beside me, gentle guiding the camera out of my hands and setting it next to us. "I think you have_ plenty_ of footage for the night."

"Yeah, I guess so..." I stopped myself mid-thought when my eyes fell on my hands. I lifted them up in front of me in amazement. "My hands are _huge_! Benny, check this out!"

Benny grinned. Then he held his hand flat and made it beeline toward my face, swooping up over my head just before it touched my nose.

I flailed my hands in front of my face in panic. "Holy shit, what just happened?!" Benny laughed, and repeated his previous movement three or four more times. Each time, it looked like his hand was so close it was halfway _in_ my head. "Stop doing that!" I begged, slapping his hand, then going into a fit of giggles.

Benny then handed me a glass filled with clear liquid. "Here, kid. You should drink this. Seriously, you'll thank me later."

I accepted the drink after some time concentrating on calculating distance and took a large swig. I coughed and set it down next to the plate of nachos. "Ugh, what _is_ that stuff?"

He spoke to me in that tone of voice that people usually reserve for when speaking to someone who's five or younger. "It's _water_, Mark."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Water? _Water_? Who the fuck drinks _water_? It's so _boring_!"

He rolled his eyes at me as he stood up to walk away again. "Whatever, man. I tried."

Some time later, I was handed a drink by a guy I knew from a class...can't remember his name. I think he called it a 'Red Death'. The rest of the night is a total blur.

The next thing I remember is waking up in my dorm...in _pain_. My throat was so dry it hurt to breathe and my eyes felt like napalm. When I tried to lift myself off my stomach using my arms, the moment my head was elevated more than six inches it suddenly felt like it was being crushed in a vice...a _pulsing_ vice.

I let myself fall back down and buried my face in the pillow. "Aww, fuck..." I groaned, my voice muffled.

I heard Benny's voice from across. "Good morning, stupid."

I dared to roll over to face him. Movement increased the immense hurting, so opted to keep my eyes shut tightly and rub my forehead with my hand. "What the fuck happened?"

"You learned your limits, that's what. Oh yeah, and you made out with that chick from your statistics class."

I squinted my nose in deep thought. "Alice?"

"Nope" he answered.

"Mary?" I tried again.

"Yeah."

My eyes snapped open. "Really?!" I stared at him as he sat on his bed looking back at me.

He grinned at my excitement. "No."

"Oh, fuck you." I rolled over again, this time facing the ceiling. "What time is it? Wait...what _day_ is it?"

"It's 7:30. And it's Monday." Benny walked around the room and started picking up some books.

"Shit, I have a class in an hour." I rubbed my eyes with my palms as if it'd somehow make them stop burning.

"Yeah, you do. And you're going." With that, he lifted the books above me (I realized then that they were mine) and dropped them on my chest.

I grunted and shot upwards in an attempt to curl myself into a ball. "Don't _ever_ do that again."

He stared at me, still grinning and with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Don't get yourself totally fucked up on a night before class again, or I guarantee you this'll happen again. And I mean _all_ of this." He indicated to the books and my head which was starting to feel like the vice had eased up about an eighth of an inch.

I looked down at the books and frowned. "Benny, these aren't even the right books."

He chuckled as he headed out the door. "I know they aren't. Find your own shit, Cohen, I'm going to get some breakfast."

After I heard his footsteps fade down the hall, I swung my legs over the side of my bed and sighed. Then I forced myself to stand and scanned the room for the books I actually needed that day.

Suddenly, the phone rang. I trudged over and picked it up. "Hello?" I more groaned than spoke.

"Cohen! What's going on, bitch?!" a familiar voice screamed from the other end.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb. "Nanette, do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

"Well, it's about 4:00 here and you're what, 3 hours ahead? You getting soft in your old age or something, Cohen?"

"Ugh...it's gonna be a long day..."


	27. Chapter 27

AN: Here's a brand new, shiny chapter for yous! Sorry it's a bit short, but it didn't seem to want to be longer. Read it, love it, buy a summer home with it, and of course REVIEW PLEASE!

---

April 7, 1987

I groaned in exasperation and leaned back in my chair, my head resting against the back and facing the ceiling. I picked up my pencil and then, pouting slightly, balanced it between my upper lip and my nose. I smiled. The de-pursing of my lips caused the pencil to slide off my face. I made no attempt to stop it as it hit the floor.

I ventured a glance down at my textbook. 'Words, words, words...' I thought dully. It was as though the words were lifting off the pages and trying to merge with my brain via osmosis. There was one problem with this: I didn't _want_ them in my brain anymore. Everything I'd read, studied, copied down furiously while a professor rambled had been crammed into my head for the past seven months. I'd even had a 3.6 grade point average in the last semester and I was doing just as well in my spring classes. But all that new information felt like deadweight...useless.

"Hey, Benny?" I heard him continuing to write at his own desk even as he answered.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing after you graduate?" This was his last semester. Come mid May, he'd be gone. How I envied him.

The scratching of pencil on paper stopped. "Actually...I'm not quite sure. I wanna move to New York City and get a job, but I haven't been able to find a place to stay."

I rocked on the back legs on my chair, still staring at the ceiling. "Mind taking me with you?"

"Aren't you stuck here for another three years or did I just fail a bunch of classes and not remember?" He mimicked my position and with a slight tilt of the chairs further back, we looked at each other upside down.

"The college life has lost it's appeal. Every day it's the same fucking thing."

"So you just wanna leave?" I nodded. He raised an eyebrow at me. "You sure?"

"I'll finish this term, but after that I'm gone whether I have a place to go or not." I hooked my feet under the desk to prevent myself from falling on my back.

Benny shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's not for everybody. I mean, at least you tried, right?"

"Yeah." A sudden noise cause me to jerk in surprise. It was just enough to disturb my balance and I crashed to the floor. I winced pathetically. "Ow..." Over Benny's laughter at my expense I deciphered the noise to be a ringing phone.

Sighing, I pulled myself to my feet and answered. "Hello?"

"Marky! How are you?" the voice on the other end asked.

I immediately felt a smile engulf my entire face. "Sunshine! Hey! I'm good...bored as hell, but good. You?"

"Oh, you know. Never a dull moment in the city. Oh, I just moved into a new place! I actually have roommates this time, too!" I could practically feel her excitement through her voice.

"That's great. I'm happy for you." I picked up the receiver and started walking around the room as we chatted.

"Thanks! It's awesome. I mean, I always got so lonely at my old place, you know? But there's two other people staying here so there's always someone to talk to. And it's a loft, so if I _do_ wanna be left alone, this place is big enough to hide away in. It's fucking _huge_!"

"Really?" I glanced over at Benny, who stared at me confused. I gave him a conspiring smile. "Hey, Ape...what would you say to having two more roommates?"


	28. Chapter 28

AN: Next part. You know what to do ((grins))

---

May 13, 1987

"Here, catch!" April called down to me from the fire escape as she tossed down a small green pouch before disappearing back into the building.

I held out my hands eagerly and waiting for gravity to do it's job only to have the pouch fall to the ground a few mere inches away from my grasp. I stared at it a moment, then knelt down to pick it up like I hadn't just made a complete ass out of myself. I heard Benny's chuckles coming from beside me and I felt my face turn red. I glared at him. "Shut up. Just...shut up."

We unlocked the door and dragged our bags up the too many flights of stairs. The place looked like a dump, but liveable nonetheless. Why April's apartment _had_ to be the top floor I couldn't understand at the time.

Upon finally reaching the large sliding door, we set down our bags to take a rest. Actually, to be more accurate, Benny set down his bags and I unceremoniously let mine fall to the floor with a thud as I tried to catch my breath. I looked up to see him raising an eyebrow at me. "Outta shape much?"

"Fuck you." I ran my fingers through my hair and straightened my shirt before rapping 'Shave and a Haircut' on the door. I barely had time to move my hand away before the door was thrown open with a crash and April leapt at me for a massive hug.

"Oh my god, Marky! I can't believe it! This is awesome! Are you psyched?! I'm _so_ psyched!" She grabbed my hands and started jumping up and down. Her hair (shorter now) bobbed around her face and her bare feet made patterning noises on the floor.

"Ape," I put my hands in her shoulders and steadied her "calm down. Don't have a seizure."

Benny cleared his throat, drawing the two of us out of our little world. "'April', right?" He extended a hand toward her in greeting.

She had none of that, however, and pulled him into a hug as well. "Yep! Nice to meet you, Benny." She then started grabbing at the bags and dragging them through the door. "Come on! Get inside, unpack, all that fun stuff!" April looked over her shoulder and called to a corner of the loft. "_Mo_! They're _here_!"

The moment I stepped through the door I understood why April lived here. The main room was extremely spacious and somehow, even though the majority of it was just bare hardwood floor, it didn't feel empty. And even though the only view was the building across the street, the large windows leading to the fire escape gave the room an open, bright feeling. I feel in love with it immediately.

"About time. I was getting bored waiting around." For the first time, I noticed the auburn haired girl on the couch. She wore a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with the 'Don't Tread On Me' flag. She stood up and crossed the room to greet us, giving me an appraising look. "Ah, so you're the cutie April keeps going on about. I'm Maureen."

She took my hand and gave it a pleasant shake. The thing that stayed with me though was how warm her hand felt in mine.

"And finally!" She moved over to Benny and repeated the gesture. "Some cultural diversity!"

Benny responded with a look that can only be described as 'deer in headlights'. He quickly made up an excuse to get away. "I'm gonna go unpack." He grabbed his bags and headed to a back corner of the room.

Maureen looked over at April and bit her lip. "Too much?" April nodded slowly. Maureen played with her fingers, looking embarrassed. Her eyes feel on me again. "Sorry, I have that affect on people sometimes."

Then I heard a door open from the right of the one I had just entered. "Ah, the newbies are here." I saw a man who looked to be about my age with bleach blonde hair, red plaid pants, and a plain black tank top. A guitar case was slung over his shoulder. "You gonna introduce me, Babe?"

"Right, this is Mark Cohen," April gestured to me, then pointed back in the direction Benny had gone in "and back there somewhere is Benny Coffin." Then she pointed to the new face and said something that, while I knew the meaning of every word she spoke, should never have been used together to form a sentence. "This is my boyfriend, Roger Davis."

My mind froze. Or rather, it started moving so fast it appeared to be barely moving at all. I was once told that's kind of what being on Ritalin is like.

"Nice to meet you, Mark." He extended a hand and gave me a bright, boyish grin.

I took it and gave him a small smile of my own. "Oh, yeah...it's a pleasure."

He looked down at his watch. "Listen, I gotta go to practice, but when I get back we're all having dinner together, okay man?" He kept eye contact with me every time he spoke. Why did he have to be so goddamn nice? "We gotta do the whole 'bonding' thing if we're gonna live together, right?"

"Right." I responded, wondering if he could see the hatred burning behind my gaze.

"Awesome!" Apparently not. "Well, I'll catch you guys later. Bye, Babe." He gave April a quick kiss before leaving the apartment.

The loft became still as a cemetery. After an uncomfortable minute Maureen, in what I learned was a rare moment of subtlety, announced "Um...I'm gonna go write a paper for a...class." She quickly walked away to her room (god, this place had a lot of rooms hidden somewhere).

I looked over at April, my expression unchanged since meeting Roger. Well, except for one little detail.

"Mark, are you okay? Your eye's twitching." She reached over to touch my face, but I pushed her hand away. My emotions went from zero to sixty in less than a second.

I was absolutely livid. "Roger Davis?! Roger _fucking_ Davis?! Are you out of your mind?!"

April just looked at me calmly and folded her arms. "Yeah. Roger Davis. What's wrong with him?"

"He's a _dick_!" I exclaimed, pointing in the direction said rocker-wannabe had gone.

"That was high school, Mark. You two got in _one_ little fight." I stared at the floor. She had _no_ idea. "He's actually really nice, if you give him a chance."

I shoved my hands into my pockets and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious." She stepped forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Roger was really excited when he heard you were moving in. He's grown up a bit since you last saw him and he wants to get to know you." She moved a hand under my chin and forced me to look at her. "You'll see. He's not so bad."

I sighed, and this time gently guided her hands away from me before picking my bag up from the floor. "Right...we'll see. I'll be in my room getting settled in, okay?"

I didn't believe her.


	29. Chapter 29

AN: Muse! How I've missed thee! Now, stay in my mind, damn it! ((ahem)) Anyway, here's a present for all of you! Let me know what you think. ((hint review hint))

---

May 28, 1987

"Thank fucking Christ it's Saturday!" April announced with relief as she toweled off her hair. I smiled at her from the couch as she emerged from the bathroom wearing a pink camisole and baby blue boy shorts and flopped down next to me. "Finally, I can just sit around and do absolutely nothing!"

The financial situation of the loft was definitely not one to be envied. Roger's band was doing well considering they'd only formed two months before, but a hundred dollars or so a week from shows doesn't go far in the city. Maureen was in school at the time, so she didn't have a job. Benny and I had just moved in, so neither of us had found work yet.

This left April with one option: working her ass off as a waitress every day except alternating Saturdays just to get by. And when she wasn't working, she was with Roger, doing...anyway, I hadn't really talked to her since I'd started living there.

A few moments passed. April ran her fingers through her hair. I took an inexplicable interest in pulling a stray thread from my t-shirt. I shifted in my seat. She drummed her fingers on her knees. A deep inhale, and then...

"So..." she started "what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno...what do you wanna do?" I wiped imaginary dust on my pants.

"I dunno...I mean, Roger doesn't wake up until after noon, so we're the only one's here." April folded the towel and tossed it onto the coffee table.

"Huh." I adjusted my glasses. "Well...I can't think of anything."

"Ah. Okay." April nodded and rubbed her hands together. Another silence. Then she looked at me and asked "So...how have you been?"

For some reason, even though it was a perfectly normal question, it caught me off guard. "Huh? Oh! Oh, I've been, uh...pretty good. You?"

"Oh, I've been okay. Exhausted, but okay."

I nodded and looked out the large window leading to the fire escape. Even from shitty view, I could still tell the sun was ridiculously shiny. "Wow. It's a beautiful day, Ape. Look."

"Hmm?" She moved her eye line from the floor and towards the window. "Yeah..." she agreed, a smile slowly forming on her face. "Yeah, it is." The smile grew into a full-out grin, and she rushed into the room she shared with Roger. I watched her leave curiously, but when I saw what she returned with, I couldn't help but chuckle.

She set up the easel and canvas right in front of the coffee table and used it as a resting place for the other supplies. "Ape, I didn't know you still painted."

She half-ran to the kitchen and filled a mug with water. "I haven't had time to lately, but yeah. I never stopped."

I glanced out the window again, and raised an eyebrow. "So...you're gonna paint the side of the other building?"

"Yep!" she replied cheerfully as she started putting globs of color onto her palette. "Why the hell not?"

My camera bag sat to my left. While she was engrossed in her new project, I pulled out the old machine, quietly cranked it, and pointed in her direction. I whispered loud enough for her to hear "Close up: April Eriksson when inspiration strikes. Notice the lack of gloves, smocks, or other protective gear."

At the sound of those first words, April looked over at me, then burst out laughing and almost dropped her brush. "Shut up," she countered, after composing herself somewhat "paint gives clothes and skin character." She added a few strokes to the canvas, then tried to look nonchalant as she added a long streak of brick red to her forearm. Despite her best efforts, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

'There's my Sunshine.' I thought contently. "Or in the case of those allergic to latex, possible a nasty rash." I responded while zooming in on her arm and trying to stay in my narrator persona.

"Oil, Marky." She indicated to her palette and continued her work.

"Okay, so it won't leave a nasty rash, just a permanent spot."

Before I could realize what was happening, the damage had been done. A huge glob of grey was running down the front of my shirt. I looked at April, then down at my shirt, then at April again. She was laughing so hard she could barely stand.

Then in one swift motion, I dropped the camera on the couch, leapt over the table, and tackled her to the ground.

"Hey!" she cried out, squirming beneath me.

"Ha! Gotcha!" I tried to pin her down, but couldn't quite get a grip on her hands. Just then the phone rang and it distracted me just enough for her to escape. She darted across the room and picked up after the second ring.

"Hello?" She answered cheerfully. My heart sank as I saw her smile disappear. "Hey, Erik." Her boss. "No, I'm not doing anything. Um...yeah, I can be there in half an hour. Oh, it's no problem. Sure. Yep. Bye."

I heard the other line go dead and I bit my lip, sensing what was to come.

Without even taking a breath, the moment April put the phone down on the receiver she screamed and it echoed throughout the loft. "_FUUUUUCK_!"

I pulled myself from the floor and started walking over to her. "Ape? April..." My hand was an inch away from her shoulder when moved away and headed to the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and started looking for her keys. "April, you didn't have to say yes."

"Yes, I did." Her voice was monotone, but I could still hear the sniffles. "We need the money."

"Don't you have to change first?" I tried to delay her.

"My uniform's in my locker there," she answered, rummaging through some old newspapers before heading back to the coffee table and picking up the keys. I followed close behind.

"If you hate it so much, why don't you quit and do something else?"

She grabbed the towel she had discarded only minutes earlier and threw it in my face. "Do _what_, Mark?! Sell my paintings?! That's not how it fucking works!"

I threw my arms out to my sides and raised my voice while still trying to remain calm. "Have you ever tried?"

She glared at me, then stormed passed. "I'll be back later."

"Sunshine..." I called after her quietly, knowing she could hear. She didn't stop. I closed my eyes as the door slammed. I opened them to a lonely room.

As I started clearing the paints off the table, something caught my eye. I looked up, and there was Roger leaning against the door frame of his and April's room, staring at the floor. Then without a word, he walked back inside and locked the door.

I continued cleaning up and put all of April's art supplies on the kitchen table. Some fucking boyfriend.


	30. Chapter 30

AN: New Chapter! Hooray! I know it's short, but they can't all be upwards of a thousand words. This was actually pretty weird to write, so bare with me.

---

May 29, 1987

It was in the wee hours of the morning. I was in my room. I might have been sleeping. At least, I thought so at the time.

The door slides open. Voices.

"You're finally home." April. "Let me guess: Jimmy and Alex couldn't agree on a song title and spent 3 hours arguing before you could get any serious work done?" Her tone was more playful than condescending.

"Ha ha." Roger that time. "That'd be more funny if it weren't true." The sound of a guitar case being set on the floor. The couch creaking. "I got something for you."

She laughed. "What the hell is that?" Her tone quickly changed to one of apprehension. "Roger...is that...?"

"Yeah. Trent let me have some of his. It's pure, too." His voice was trying to hide excitement. But then it turned into confusion. "April? Baby, what's wrong?"

"Roger, that...that stuff's dangerous!" Fear more than anything that time.

"No, no. Baby, it's fine. Really." Comforting. "I tried this once back in high school. It's no big deal." Silence. After a moment, he sighed. "Listen...I know you're really stressed out...and that you're not happy lately. This was the only thing I could think of to help you relax. If you don't like it, we don't have to ever do it again."

Another silence. Then "I don't know how."

A soft chuckle. "It's easy, April. Here, I'll help you." Plastic being removed. Tiny pings of glass objects being set on the table. Some tapping. "Here, this goes on your arm." Then the snap of stretched rubber.

"Ow! It's too tight!"

"It's _supposed_ to be tight."

"...Oh." She whimpered. "I hate needles. What if I twitch or something and it breaks off in my arm?"

"I'll do it, then. Don't worry." More silence. Then a sharp inhale. "Shhh. It's okay, Babe. It's over. How do you feel?"

A pause. Then a dazed "...Better."

I thought I was dreaming. I should have known better.


End file.
